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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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THE CONSTITUTIONS 



OF THE 



ADELPHIC UNION, 



AND 



?> PHILOLOGIAN 



SOCIETIES, 



OF 



WILLIAMS COLLEGE. 












-*♦*- 



NORTH ADAMS. 

H. CHICKERING AND CO., PRINTERS 
1852. 



YS^" 






CONSTITUTION 



OF THE 



ADELPHIC UNION. 



ARTICLE I. 

FORMATION AND NAME. 

Section 1. This Society shall be composed of the 
Philologian and Philotechnian Societies of Wil- 
liams College, and shall be called the Adelphic 
Union. 

ARTICLE II. 

OFFICERS. 

Section 1. The Officers of this Society shall con- 
sist of a President and Secretary, to be chosen 
annually from the Junior Class, on the Wednesday 
preceding the last Senior Examination. 

Section 2. The Branch Societies shall hare the 
election of the President and Secretary, alternately ; 
but neither shall have the election of both at the 
same time. The President is to be elected from 
the Philologian Society, in 1851. 



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ARTICLE III. 

DUTIES OF OFFICERS. 

Section 1. The President shall preside at all 
meetings of the Society, and shall be empowered to 
call special meetings when he shall deem it neces- 
sary. 

Section 2. The Secretary shall keep a record of 
the proceedings at each meeting of the Society, and 
conduct its correspondence. 

Section 3. It shall be the duty of the President 
and Secretary to report to their respective Societies 
the names of all persons who enter College, and keep 
a record of the same. 

ARTICLE IV. 

REMOVAL AND RESIGNATION. 

Section 1. The Officers of this Society may be 
removed from office, after complaint by three mem- 
bers, and trial and conviction before a Joint Com- 
mittee of three from each Society, chosen or appoint- 
ed expressly for that purpose. 

Section 2. In case of the death,- resignation, or 
removal of any Officer, .the vacancy shall be filled 
by an election from the same Society to which the 
Officer so vacating belonged. 

ARTICLE V. 

EXHIBITIONS. 

Section 1. There shall be an Exhibition of this 
Society, annually, on the evening after the close of 
the Senior Examination in July, the Exhibitors for 



which shall be chosen on the fourth Wednesday in 

March. 

Section 2. The appointments shall consist of 

thirteen Exhibitors, as follows : A Valedictorian, 
from that branch of the Society of which the Presi- 
dent of the Adelphic Union is a member ; also, one 
Debater, one Disputant, one Poet, and three Orators 
from each of the branch Societies. The Valedicto- 
rian, Debaters, and Disputants, must be chosen from 
the Senior Class. 

Section 3. The time occupied by each Debater 
shall not exceed twenty minutes, and the time oc- 
cupied by any other appointee shall not exceed 
eight minutes. 

Section 4. The question to be discussed by the 
Debaters shall be chosen in the following manner, 
viz : that Branch Society of which the President of 
the Adelphic Union is a member, shall decide upon 
and propose in writing to the other Society, a ques- 
tion for discussion, within three weeks after the 
election of the Exhibitors ; and that Branch Society 
to which such question is proposed, shall choose the 
affirmative or negative side, and make known its 
choice to the other Society, within two weeks after 
this proposal has been made. 

Section 5. Each of the Debaters shall speak 
twice upon the question, and their Debate shall be 
extemporaneous. 

Section 6. The Disputants shall speak but once 
each, and their Dispute shall be written, 
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Section 7. The Order of Exercises at the Adel- 
phic Union Exhibition shall be arranged by the 
Professor of Rhetoric. 

ARTICLE VI. 

PUBLIC DEBATES. 

Section 1. The Philologian and Philotechnian 
Societies shall meet jointly, twice a year, for a Pub- 
lic Debate, under the following regulations : 

Section 2. Four members shall be chosen by 
ballot from each Society for each Debate. The ap- 
pointees of one Society shall discuss one side, and 
the appointees of the other Society the other side of 
that question which they may agree upon, and 
which shall have been previously accepted by the 
Societies. . 

Section 3. The question shall be chosen and ac- 
cepted at least three weeks before the evening of 
the Debate. 

Section 4. No member of either Society shall be 
eligible to two consecutive Debates. 

Section 5. The time occupied by each Debater 
shall not exceed fifteen minutes, and he shall in no 
case be interrupted while speaking. 

Section 6. The President of the Adelphic Union 
shall preside at these Debates. If, however, he 
shall have been appointed to Debate, the Society to 
which he belongs shall appoint a President pro tern. 

Section 7. These Debates shall be held in the 
College Chapel> on the sixth Wednesday evening of 



the first Collegiate Term, and on the eighth Wednes- 
day evening of the second Term. 

Section 8. The Debaters for the first term shall 
be chosen on the Wednesday evening next preced- 
ing Commencement ; those for the second term, on 
the second Wednesday evening of that term. 

ARTICLE VII. 

DUTIES OF THE BRANCH SOCIETIES. 

Section 1. Neither of the Branch Societies shall 
admit to membership more than two-thirds of all 
those persons who enter College during any Colle- 
giate year. 

Section 2. Neither of the Branch Societies shall 
admit to membership any person who has been al- 
lotted to, or in any way connected with the other 
Society, or who has not been in attendance upon 
College duties at least two weeks. 

Section 3. It shall be the duty of that Branch 
Society of which the President of the Adelphic Union 
is a member, to secure an Orator for the evening 
preceding Commencement that year. 

ARTICLE VIII. 

AMENDMENTS, ETC. 

Section 1. Amendments to this Constitution may 
be proposed to each Branch Society, by a Commit- 
tee of two appointed for the purpose ; but such 
amendments shall not be adopted unless two-thirds 
of the members of each Society shall concur therein. 

Section 2. If at the expiration of three years 



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from the adoption of this Constitution or at any 
subsequent period, a request be made by three- 
fourths of the members of either Branch Society to 
go back to the former system of allotments, this re- 
quest shall be granted. 

Section 3. Upon the adoption of any Amend- 
ments to this Constitution, and upon official com- 
munication of the same by the respective Secretaries 
of the Branch Societies, the Secretary of the Adel- 
phic Union shall record it in the Adelphic Union 
Records, and no Amendments shall be valid unless 
so recorded. 

Section 4. All drafts of this Constitution, to be 
valid, must be made under the supervision and ac- 
companied by the attestation of one member from 
each Branch Society. 

Section 5. The Branch Societies shall keep at- 
tested copies of this Constitution, with all future 
amendments and in all cases of collision with their 
enactments, this Constitution shall have the prefer- 
ence. 

Section 6. This Constitution shall take effect on 
and after the commencement of the Collegiate year, 
1850-51. 



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CONSTITUTION 

OF THE 

PHILOLOGIAN SOCIETY, 

As Amended, April, 1852. 



ARTICLE I; 

NAME AND OBJECT. 

Section 1. This Society shall be called the Phi- 
lologian Society of Williams College. 

Section 2. The object of this Society shall be the 
literary improvement of its Members. 

ARTICLE II. 

membership. 

Section 1. Any member of the College, unless 
restricted by the Adelphic Union Constitution, may 
become a Member of this Society upon concurrence 
of two-thirds of the Members present, by paying 
five dollars to the Treasurer, and assenting to the 
following affirmation, viz : 

" In the presence of the members of this Society, 
and upon the honor of a gentleman, you promise to 



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support the Constitution of this Society to the best 
of your ability." 

Section 2. Any member of College, who has been 
a member of a similar College Society, may be ad- 
mitted to this Society without paying the initiation 
fee, on presenting his certificate of membership, 
provided the initiation fee of said Society, equal in 
amount that of this Society ; but if that fee be less, 
he must pay the difference before he can become a 
Member. 

Section 3. Honorary Members may be elected 
by a vote of two -thirds of the Society. 

Section 4. No Member shall be expelled or dis- 
missed from the Society except by a vote of two- 
thirds of the Members. 

ARTICLE III. 

OFFICERS AND THEIR DUTIES, 

Section 1. The Officers of this Society shall con- 
sist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Eeader, 
Treasurer, Librarian, Assistant-Librarian, and two 
Library Inspectors. 

Section 2. It shall be the duty of the President, 
(or, in his absence, of the Vice-President,) to pre- 
side at all meetings of the Society, call special 
meetings, preserve order, apportion appointments 
as hereafter designated, and administer the affirma- 
tion to new Members and newly elected Officers. 

Section 3. It shall be the duty of the Secretary 
to keep an accurate record of the proceedings of 



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each meeting, call the roll, read the records of the 
preceding meeting, and call the roll for Dispute and 
Debate. He shall, at the end of his term of office, 
register in the Book of Records, the number of regu- 
lar meetings during that time, the name and the num- 
ber of absences, appointments, and non-fulfillments 
of each member. Previous to each election he shall 
read the list of members who are eligible. He shall 
also conduct the correspondence of the Society. 

Section 4. It shall be the duty of the Eeader to 
read contributions that may be delive red to him. 

Section 5. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer 
to collect all monies due to the Society, disburse 
the same on the receipt of a written order from the 
President, keep an accurate account of these receipts 
and expenditures, and report in writing the state of 
the Treasury at the end of his term of office, and 
whenever called upon by the Society to do so. 

Section 6. It shall be the duty of the Librarian 
and Assistant-Librarian to take charge of the Li- 
brary and Hall of the Society, keep a numbered 
catalogue of all the books, stamp them with the 
name of the Society, keep an accurate account of 
all that are taken out and assess all damages done 
to them. The Librarian shall receive for his ser- 
vices five dollars, and the Assistant-Librarian, three 
dollars, a year. 

Section 7. It shall be the duty of the Library 
Inspectors to assist the Librarian in the performance 



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of his duties, and at the close of their term of office 
report to the Society the exact number of volumes 
in the Library, the number lost and added during 
the year, and also make such suggestions as they 
may see fit for the increase and improvement of the 
Library. 

Section 8. The Librarian and Library Inspectors 
shall constitute a Library Committee, with power 
.to purchase books and bind such as need it. 
ARTICLE IV. 

ELECTION OF OFFICERS. 

Section 1. The Officers, (with the exception of 
the Librarian, Assistant- Librarian, and Library In- 
spectors,) shall be chosen by ballot, quarterly, as 
follows, viz : On the Wednesday preceding the Se- 
nior Examination in July ; on the third Wednesday 
in October ; on the second Wednesday of the second 
College Term ; and on the last Wednesday of the 
same Term. 

Section 2. The Librarian, Assistant-Librarian, 
and Library Inspectors shall be chosen by ballot on 
the Wednesday preceding the Senior Examination 
in July, and hold office for one year. 

Section 3. The Treasurer, Assistant-Librarian, 
and Library Inspectors, shall be chosen from the 
Junior Class ; all the other Officers, from the 
Senior Class. 

Section 4. At and after the election in July, the 
Junior, Sophomore, and Freshman Classes of Col- 



IS 



lege, shall each assume in the Society, the rank of 
the next higher Class, and their members shall re- 
ceive the appointments of Seniors, Juniors, and 
Soj homores, respectively. 

Section 5. Any Member who, while attending on 
College duties, has not attended three-fourths of the 
regular meetings of the Society, or has not fulfilled 
three-fourths of his appointments, shall be ineligi- 
ble to any office in this Society, or to any appoint- 
ment in the Adelphic Union. 

Section 6. The Officers elect shall assent to the 
following affirmation : 

' if In the presence of the Members of this Society, 
and upon the honor of gentlemen, you affirm that 
you will faithfully discharge the duties of the sever- 
al offices to which you have been elected.'" 
ARTICLE V. 

IMPEACHMENT. 

Section 1. A Bill of Impeachment for misde- 
meanor, signed by any three members, may be 
brought against any Officer ; but such Bill shall not 
be acted upon, until one week after its presentation 
to the Society. 

Section 2. The Officer, against whom* this Bill of 
Impeachment may have been brought, may be re- 
moved from office, on trial and conviction, by a 
Committee of the whole. 

Section 3. During the time occupied by the con- 
sideration of the charge specified in the Bill of 



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Impeachment, the duties of the Officer under trial 
shall be performed by some other Member chosen 
by the Society ; and in case of his removal, his 
place shall be supplied by a new election. 
ARTICLE VI. 

MEETINGS AND EXERCISES. 

Section 1. This Society shall hold its' regular 
meetings on Wednesday evening, one hour and a 
half after evening prayers. 

Section 2. The President shall call special meet- 
ings when requested by any three Members. 

Section 3. The Literary Exercises at each reg- 
ular meeting shall consist of Disputes, Compositions, 
Orations, Censor-piece, and Debate. 

Section 4. Every Member shaH be 'required to 
attend all meetings ; and to fulfill all his appoint- 
ments, unless excused by the President. 
ARTICLE VII. 

FINES, ASSESSMENTS, ETC. 

Section 1. Each Member shall pay to the Treas- 
urer, at the beginning of each term, a tax of twenty- 
five cents, for the contingent expenses of the Society. 

Section 2. Any Member, who shall fail to fulfil 
any appointment, unless excused by the President, 
shall pay a fine of twenty-five cents. 

Section 3. Any Member, refusing to pay his 
fines, taxes or assessments, shall be deprived of the 
use of the Library, till they are paid ; and if his 



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debt amounts to more than three dollars, he shall 
be expelled from the Society. 

ARTICLE VIII. 

ADELPHIC UNION, 

Section 1. In all that concerns the united inter- 
ests of the two Literary Societies of this College, 
this Society shall be bound by the provisions of the 
Adelphic Union Constitution, 

Section 2. Every Member elected an Exhibitor 
of the Adelphic Union, shall be required to fulfill 
the appointment, unless excused by the Society. 

Section 3. The Badge of this Society shall be a 
•blue ribbon. 

ARTICLE IX. 

AMENDMENTS. 

Section 1. This Constitution may be amended 
by a vote of two-thirds of the Members ; but no 
a mendment shall be adopted until one week after it 
is proposed in writing, nor at any other than a reg« 
ular meeting. 



re 



BY-LAWS 

OF THE 

PHILO LOGIAN SOCIETY. 



*g » 



1. The Order of Exercises at each regular meet- 
ing of the Society, shall be as follows : Calling the 
roll ; Reading the records of the last regular meet- 
ing, and of all intervening meetings ; Appointment 
of Censor ; Dispute ; Compositions ; Debate ; De- 
cision of the Question ; Reading Contributions to 
The Philolo&ian ; Orations ; Miscellaneous Busi- 
ness ; Calling the roll far Dispute and Debate ; 
Appointments ; Censor-piece ; Adjournment. 

2. The Censor, appointed by the President at 
discretion, shall read at the next regular meeting a 
criticism on the performance of the evening when 
he was appointed. 

3. Appointments for Dispute shall be made in tho 
following manner, viz : the Secretary shall call the 
roll of the Sophomore and Freshman Classes, al- 
phabetically, without distinction of Classes, com- 



n 



mencing with the name next succeeding that of the 
last appointee ; when two answer to their names, 
they shall be considered appointed for dispute ; if 
two do not volunteer, it shall be the duty of the 
President to appoint the disputants. 

4. Appointments for Composition shall be made 
alphabetically from a list of the Junior, Sophomore, 
and Freshman Classes ; and no more than three 
Compositions shall be read at any meeting, 

5. Appointments for Debate shall be made from 
the Senior Class in a manner similar to the appoint- 
ments for Dispute. 

6. The Reader shall preserve all contributions 
that may be delivered to him, and when a sufficient 
number have been obtained, they shall be bound to- 
gether in a volume to be called The Philologian. 

7. Appointments for Orations shall be made al- 
phabetically, one from the Senior, and one from the 
Junior Class. 

8. All appointments with the exception of the 
Censor-piece, shall be made two weeks previous to 
fulfillment. 

9. No Composition or Oration shall occupy more 
than ten minutes ; no Dispute more than fifteen ; 
nor the reading of The Philologian more than 
twenty. 

10. The Dispute shall be written and declaimed ; 
the question shall be chosen by the Disputants. 

11. The question for Debate shall be chosen by 






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the Leading Disputants, and presented to the Soci- 
ety for approval one week before its discussion. 

12. The Leading Disputants shall open and close 
the Debate ; but before it is closed, it shall be 
thrown open to the Society for discussion, 

13. None but the Leading Disputants shall speak 
more than once, and no Disputant shall occupy more 
than fifteen minutes at one time, without permission 
of the Society. The Debate shall be closed by a 
vote of the Society. 

14. The question shall be decided by the Presi- 
dent according to the merits of the Debate. 

15. The regular Literary Exercises shall not be 
adjourned, (except on the evenings of election, and 
those preceding public days,) unless by a vote of 
two-thirds of the Members present. 

16. No Member shall leave the room during the 
meeting without permission of the President. 

17. The President at the expiration of his term 
of office shall deliver an Address before the Society, 

18. Every Member shall be required to wear the 
badge of the Society at all College and Society Ex- 
hibitions. 

19. The Society shall publish triennially a Cat- 
alogue containing the names and residences of all 
its Members, and a list of all the books in the Li- 
brary, 



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BF-LAVVS* 

> FOR THE 

REGULATION OF THE LIBRARY, 



-♦♦- 



1. The Library shall be open for the delivery and 
return of books, at 1 P. M., every Wednesday and 
Saturday during the College Terms. 

2. Seniors may have out four books at one time ; 
Juniors, three ; Sophomores and Freshmen two. 
Persons, not Members of the Society, may draw out 
books at the discretion of the Librarian. 

3. No book shall be kept out more than two 
weeks, except by renewal at the end of that time, 
with the consent of the Librarian. 

4. All books must be returned to the Library, on 
the second Saturday before the close of each term, 
and on the Saturday preceding the election in July. 

5. On the last Saturday of the first and second 
terms, each Member may draw out for vacation, a 
number of volumes equal to the number of weeks 
in the vacation. The choice of books shall be reg-, 
ulated by lot. 



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029 898 492 1 



6. After the books have been drawn as specified 
above, no book shall be taken from the Library 
during vacation. 

7. If a volume be detained beyond the limited 
time, the borrower shall be charged twelve and a 
half cents per week, and be debarred the use of the 
Library, until it is returned or replaced. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



029 898 492 1 



